Novak Djokovic advanced to the Australian Open quarter-finals with a dominant 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (7-4) win over Czech Jiri Lehecka, keeping his pursuit of a record 25th Grand Slam title on track. He will now face Carlos Alcaraz in the next round after Alcaraz advanced when British number one Jack Draper retired due to a hip injury.
Alcaraz has defeated Djokovic in the past two Wimbledon finals, but Djokovic triumphed over the 21-year-old to win gold at the Paris Olympics last summer, calling it his “biggest sporting achievement.”
During the match, Djokovic faced boos from the crowd as Lehecka threatened to force a fourth set. The 11-time Australian Open champion quickly exited the court after his victory, thanking the crowd for their support.
In a post-match press conference, Djokovic explained his decision to skip the usual on-court interview with Jim Courier. He cited an incident involving Channel 9 newsreader Tony Jones, who made derogatory comments about Djokovic and Serbian fans during a live broadcast. Djokovic expressed disappointment that neither Jones nor Channel 9 had issued an apology, and as a result, he chose not to participate in interviews with the broadcaster, though he clarified that he had no issues with Courier or the Australian public.
